JDM Parade: Nismo Festival at Fuji Speedway

It's been a few interesting years for Japanese auto industry as people's priorities have been shifting towards Eco, efficiency and value. That said, in last several months the car scene has been on the rise, and it's days like this that serve as proof that people here still love fast cars.

35000 fans have made it across from different parts of Japan to the famous Fuji Speedway to celebrate a brand that put Japan racing pedigree on the map.

Soon after their official launch they brought back the iconic GTR brand and released the R32 Nissan Skyline GTR onto racing circuits only for it to be regulated out for being.. well, too fast...

Nissan Skyline GT-R became an icon of Japanese automotive might and an envy of the world.

Nissan was always proud of the model, but engineers at Nismo were out to perfect it even further. That led to creation of their own special versions of the mighty GTR's that can still be seen in numbers today.

Following global trends of aggressive motorsport divisions involvement in production cars, Nismo has recently unveiled the mighty 2014 Nismo Nissan GTR that set yet another Nürburgring record and took the world by storm.

Today's event was aimed at celebrating that model and everything that Nismo and Nissan have achieved.

But it went a step further than Nissan's factory car show, with tuners proudly presenting their masterpieces such as this 1200 horse power Nissan GTR by Top Secret

Yes, 1200 Horse Power, and that's what it looks like!

Of course the event was not limited to GTR models, although they did come in numbers. There were many very nicely done Siliva's and Fairlady 370z's such as this one sporting ings body kit and Rays G25 rims.

Down at the paddocks it was a typical car meet with lots of enthusiasts checking out rides and trying to score a good deal on the next upgrade,

While Nismo was in charge of keeping the track busy.

Races and demo runs were happening one after another,

As several classes were battling it out on the world famous Grand Prix circuit.

From the heavily modified and race tuned old school rides,

To the very dynamic Super Taikyu, where most cars have close resemblance to their showroom versions.

but the highlight was the exhibition event featuring a race various GT500 class super machines,

that were competing in now finished 2013 season.

This was my first time shooting track-side and it was extremely exciting to see and hear these amazing racers whiz by and take corners at such speed and precision. There were no trophies to be won, no prize money, but nobody wanted to lose, meaning drivers were pushing these machines to the limit for the sake of their pride.

But as much as watching racing is fun, I feel obliged to feature some of the tuner marvels that were on display at the paddocks

R35 seemed to be the theme of the day, with many tuners proudly showing off their work. It is hard to believe that just 2 years ago (Nismo Festival was taking a year off in 2012) Nissan did not allow any tuners at the paddocks as they still were not welcoming any modifications to R35 (Yes, they were singing that same song from 2007).

Maybe they were trying to monopolize the performance market for the GTR with their own versions of it, but looks like this year, they finally decided to follow the trend.

And if somebody is out to set that trend it would be Mine's with their rock solid presence in Japan's after-market world and today they were proudly presenting their version of 2013 Nissan GTR.

Right next to it - their super clean R34 which is indeed the pride of their work. Many will disagree, but I think the Mine's R34 is one of the best looking Skylines out there, and I am glad that it's still rocking so they can bring it and show off to the crowd.

And speaking of the R34, nothing stands out more than this red R34 by MCR Racing featuring 19 inch Rays TE37 wheels, adjustable, TEIN suspension and their own body kit.

Under the carbon fiber hood - massively tuned, stroked to 2.8L engine producing up to 650 horses with help of HKS turbos and ECU as well as ARC intercooler and titanium racing exhaust system.

On the R33 front, this very unique Kleers/Do-Luck R33 with massive rear spoiler and diffuser was a true crowd pleaser.

It almost seems that entire Nissan's history seen through the eyes of Japanese enthusiasts and tuners was on display, as unsurprisingly there were plenty of legendary R32's. Looking at how clean some of those are, it's hard to believe that it's already been 24 years since the first batch rolled off the production line.

Even though there hasn't been a GTR since 1973, the classic R31 Skyline still has plenty of impact taking the best of what 80's design had to offer, especially after tuners had their way with it.

But this would not be a proper Nissan meet without the legendary Hakosuka in its original form. Even the experts who were with me could not determine whether it was an original or an extremely well constructed replica.

Nissan Silvia's were also present in numbers. Popularity of these budget performance cars just screams for Nissan to release the IDx concept.

But one "Silvia" that stood out the most was not actually a Silvia, as it was a lefthand drive import from USA, giving this event a taste of SEMA. The 240SX with KA24 engine upgraded with Tomei Powered parts, sporting Rocket Bunny wide body kit was truly a one of a kind ride.

There were many more tuned cars and entire parking lots filled with absolutely awesome rides, but Nissan knew exactly what to do to keep the crowd focused on the events.

As the sun was setting Nismo had one more trick up their sleeve: the demonstration of 2014 Super GT Nissan GTR, which will compete under completely different regulations and rules. But it doesn't make the car look any worse. As a matter of fact, looking at the car up close and personal, I can only say that next year Super GT is going to be a must-watch.

Thank you for reading everyone, Please come back soon for more automotive coverage from Japan, and please don't forget to comment, share, and follow!